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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. chair — a leader
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. foot — a measure
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fine — high quality
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com